Thomas Fitzgerald

Political Writer

The surging Rep. Michele Bachmann, by some measures the frontrunner in the Republican presidential race, suffers from debilitating headaches that "incapacitate" her for days at a time, The Daily Caller news site reports Tuesday.

Bachmann moved quickly to address the concerns, saying that her migranes are controlled with medication and have not slowed her bruising campaign schedule.

The two are competing for the same conservative, evangelical base of voters in Iowa, which holds the first nomination votes in the nation. Pawlenty, who has remained mired in single digits in polls while Bachmann rises, has staked his campaign on a strong showing there. Translation: Big motive for hitting Bachmann.